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This post is all about sleep, particularly, how much or how little we are getting with a just shy of six month old baby. So many of you have asked to share Grayson’s sleep routine and I’ve promised a detailed post. Just as our sleep journey has been quite lengthy and involved, so is this post, so if this is not your thing, I’m totally not offended if you don’t care at all and skip over this one. If this is your life right now, grab a cup of coffee and settle in because here we go….

I think when you are pregnant, the number one piece of advice given to new moms-to-be is most commonly, “make sure you get your sleep now!” I can’t tell you how many times I was told this, and my reaction always stayed the same. I would politely nod my head to acknowledge their thoughtful suggestion, and think to myself, “yeah ok, I’ll just hibernate until this baby comes out of me.” I mean it wasn’t like I was going on all-night benders or even staying out past 8pm when I was incredibly pregnant, so sleep wasn’t an issue.

Needless to say, I was a bit anxious about the thought of bringing home a newborn and had no idea how the whole sleep thing would go. All I could do was expect the worst and hope for the best.

Well here is the thing about babies and sleep….or at least in our case.

Newborns sleep! They actually sleep a lot. In fact, all they do is sleep and eat and then sleep some more. Sure their sleep is broken and they have no concept of night and day, but Grayson had long stretches in the nighttime hours early on. We often would get 4-5 hours, before he would wake up in the night, sometimes even 6. Let me tell you, 6 solid hours of sleep for a new mom is like winning the lottery.

So for most of Grayson’s early life, we chalked him up to a good sleeper. I actually said out loud many times, “this is easy! I’m not sure what the big fuss about loosing sleep is!”

HA.

HA.

HA.

Well, turn’s out, the joke was on me, because as soon as the little one turned four months, it all went downhill. I had read and heard a lot about the dreaded four month sleep regression, but, like most mom’s I believe, I tried to ignore it and think, “maybe my child will be the exception.”

He wasn’t.

It first started when Grayson refused to go down at night. We had never had a problem with putting him down for bed at night before, but all of a sudden, laying him in his crib was a tantrum waiting to happen. After endless nights and failed attempts of trying to console him, we eventually started to let him cry it out when he first went down. It took two nights of crying for almost an hour, but after that, he completely stopped and started putting himself down. Whew, dodged that one, we thought.

Wrong!

So now that we had the initial putting him to bed solved, he then began waking up so frequently throughout the night. We were lucky if we got 2 hours out of him. Some nights, he would be up every hour it seemed.

We were two sleep deprived parents and did what worked in the moment. I would get up every time he cried to nurse him and rock him back to sleep. By 4am, when I simply could not fathom the thought of standing and walking, John would get him and bring him in our bed so I could nurse him laying down. We all would end up falling asleep in our bed until the morning, but it was not a good sleep for any of us.

Now I know what you may be thinking. “You shouldn’t use sleep crutches like nursing.” “You shouldn’t co-sleep with your baby.” Well at 12am, 1am, 3am, and 4:30am, you honestly say, “to hell with everyone, I just need this baby to sleep!”

Everything I read about the 4 month regression made sense. At four months, babies were growing out of their newborn deep sleep patterns and entering the adult sleep patterns. So basically, they constantly wake up, like adults, but don’t know how to put themselves back to sleep. It makes complete sense, Grayson needed to be taught how to sleep. Right, so how in the world do you teach a baby how to sleep?

Well, here are some things that we did. Now, before I share these, I have to of course state that every baby is different and nothing is a 100% proven method. We also didn’t see great success until he was closer to six months in age. Four months is still pretty small and they still may need you throughout the night, whether it be to eat, to be held, or to be rocked. We did this with Grayson up until a few weeks ago when we started a more structured sleep training practice.

1. We began doing structured naps

Up until a few weeks ago, G was sleeping and eating on demand. He napped whenever he fell asleep and for however long he wanted to. Most of the time, he probably wasn’t getting nearly enough naps as he should have been. It’s very true when they say sleep begets sleep. So the better he slept during the day, the better he would sleep at night. The rule of thumb is usually 2 hour of wake time before the next sleep occurs. So if Grayson woke up at 6:30am, we put him down for his first nap at 8:30am. Grayson usually naps 30-45 minutes, so he’s not the best napper, but he has gotten SO much better at napping on a good schedule. We aim for 3 45-minute naps a day with maybe one little cat nap in the evening. Now I totally understand and have become one of those parents that must stop whatever they are doing to make sure they get home for their kid’s nap. I never thought I’d be one of them, but yep, I definitely am and I own it!

2. We started paying attention for sleep cues

Oh gosh, sleep cues are so very important. There are a bunch but G’s big ones are yawning, rubbing his eyes, and dazing. As soon as we spot one of these, we immediately go into nap prep mode. They say you have seven minutes or so to get your baby down once you recognize a sleep cue and if you miss it, your baby may get a sudden rush of energy and refuse the nap altogether.

3. We did consoling from the crib

This was the hardest by far, but we’ve come a long way! When Grayson woke up in the middle of the night, instead of rushing in to swoop him up, we left him in the crib and consoled him from outside the crib. I would put my face directly in front of his, rub his head, and talk to him in his ear telling him things like, “it’s okay baby, I’m right here. I love you!” I would do this for about a minute, leave the room and let him cry for 10 minutes. I would then go back in his room and do the same thing for another minute, leave and let him cry for another 10 minutes. We did this pattern until he eventually fell asleep. The first night it took a full hour, but he eventually went down. I honestly couldn’t blame him because up until now, he knew that if he cried, mommy would come in, pick him up, nurse him and he would fall back to sleep. This was all he knew and suddenly, his whole world changed. Of course he was ticked off! Each night got a little better until eventually, he only cried for a few minutes and then put himself back to sleep on his own. Let me tell you that felt like one big victory!

4. We ordered Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit

Okay, this is a big one for us. From day one, Grayson hated the swaddle….HATED! I’ve tried sleep sacks and just about every swaddle blanket under the sun, but he breaks out of them all or freaks out until we break him out of it. Grayson sleeps like a starfish, so it really is no surprise that he didn’t want his arms and legs confined. I know there are so many great benefits to swaddling though, but it just never worked for us. Well I was told by a few people to look into Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit as it worked wonders for them. Something about this suit really was just magical, they said, and many admitted their babies instantly fell asleep after putting it on.

The sleep suit was made by a mom who also happened to be a physical therapist. She created the suit after experiencing her own sleep issues with her baby.

It is created for the in-between stages for when babies are too big for the swaddle, but still too young to understand how to sleep and need the security of the swaddle. It comes in two sizes, small and large. The small is for babies 12-18 pounds and the large goes up to 21 pounds. The fabric is a soft micro fleece on the outside and has a breathable cotton inner layer. It’s also designed to provide the perfect amount of insulation so there are openings at the hands and feet.

Now let me tell you a little story. I reached out to the company telling them about my situation and asking if I could have more information. One of their kind salespeople got back to me right away and schedule a time to speak with me on the phone to get a full analysis of my baby and our exact needs. They were so nice and offered some great advice on using the suit for the best results. They also claimed to have a 98% success rate, so in my mind, that is 100% worth trying!

The woman told me she would put my suit in the mail that day and we waited patiently until it arrived. The day it came, Grayson had refused his second nap and was a screaming mess. He was overtired, cranky and just flat out miserable all afternoon. After hours of crying, I went to the mail and saw that my suit had arrived. I immediately ripped it open, put him in it and laid him down in his crib. I am not even joking one bit when I tell you the kid fell asleep within 3 minutes! I timed him. He slept for 20 minutes, but he slept!

That night, we used the suit for the first time and he slept from 7pm-4am!!!! I remember waking up at 3:45am, looking at the clock and crying. Serious tears of joy that we had a successful night, after weeks and weeks of such crap sleep. I nursed him at 4am (still in the suit) and he went right back down until 7am.

This is how he woke up in the morning.

It’s been about 2 weeks now and we’ve been using the suit for naps and at night. Although G still does wake up every 4 hours most nights, he has done huge leaps towards better sleep since we started using the suit. We have a routine bedtime schedule that includes bath, bottle (I give him 2 ounces of formula at night to help him sleep), singing while putting him in the suit, and then I nurse him. We lay him down in his crib when he’s still awake but tired. The first few nights, he cried for 2 or 3 minutes and then went right to sleep. Now, he barely cries at all.

Here is Grayson’s typical night.

6:00pm – We start bath. Grayson plays in his room while I get his bath ready.

6:15pm- Once we are out of the bath, we do massage, PJ’s, read a book, and then come downstairs.

6:30pm- G gets his bottle, that he now holds by himself.

6:45 pm – We go upstairs. I sing, “You Are My Sunshine,” and we get in the sleep suit. I nurse him for a few minutes and G gets very drowsy.

7:00pm – Grayson goes in his crib and is out within 5 minutes.

10:00pm – I do a dream feed before I go to bed. Grayson barely wakes up and goes right back to sleep.

1am – He’s been waking up most nights around 1am and we think it’s for a diaper change. John has been getting up with him at this time and changing his diaper, but doing so while G is still in his crib. We don’t want to pick him up to signify it’s time to get up. That would only confuse him. After John changes his diaper, he cries for a few minutes and then goes back to sleep.

4am- G is up and crying and ready to eat. I still think he’s a little too young to go a full 12 hours without eating so I am still nursing him once. The 4am hour is when he always wakes up and he is always hungry then. I nurse him and he goes right back to sleep.

6:30am- G is up for the day!

So this is definitely so much better than it was before! We are still trying to figure out how to avoid that 1am wake-up and it might be a matter of switching to overnight diapers. I’m definitely open to your suggestions.

A few things about this current sleep schedule. One. It’s really working for us all. I’m getting way more sleep than before, Grayson is much more rested and just overall happier. I honestly cannot get over how joyful he has become since we started the sleep training and sleep suit. He is like a different baby! It’s amazing what a little more sleep can actually do for your baby’s overall mood. And John is sleeping better as well, which is great considering he works late hours and doesn’t always get the most sleep going into long shifts.

Two. It kinda stinks that we cannot leave the house after 5:00pm. We have found that if we don’t stick to the routine, it all goes array! I know it’s not forever and right now, getting a good nights sleep and a happy baby is way more fun than going out at night.

I am a believer in sleep training and I’m also a believer in the sleep suit. It just worked for us and is continuing to work. I think we may eventually try and ween him out of the suit starting with naps, but for now, we use it every time he goes down.

I wanted to share this post because I know there are many of you out there that are dealing with the same situation we were, or maybe you are a mom-to-be and about to embark on the wonderful and challenging journey of parenthood. Well, if that is you, allow me to say this….

There will be restless nights but there will also be nights of good rest. Your body will adjust and in some incredible way that we women are able to grow and birth life, we also are able to function on very little sleep. As much as it may suck sometimes, know that it does get better. It is such a short phase of your life as a parent and there will be so many more milestones to come. So you don’t necessarily have to shut your computer down and sleep until birth just yet. Just enjoy the rest you have now and know that soon, you’ll be putting aside your own sleep desires in order to teach your offspring a skill you want them to adapt. You’ll be doing a lot of that.

I know our sleepless nights are not over and I’m sure we will run into some hiccups here and there, but for now, we are on a good path and one that I hope will only get better.

It’s been an entire month since the day we welcomed our beautiful little boy into this world. There are moments where I think, where have the past 30 days gone? And then there are moments- usually when I’m in the moment – where I think it’s taken its sweet time. I know I always say this, but watching Grayson grow up so fast is a wonderful and heartbreaking thing. I absolutely love to see him develop and grow into such a strong and determined little boy, but at the same time, I wish I could keep him little and so dependent on me forever. One thing is for sure, he is changing every single day and sad or not, it’s been a joy to witness this little man become who he was created to be.

Where do I begin…

I guess I’ll start with his physical growth.

We knew early on that G would be a little squirt. In the womb, he always measured small and always in the 20-25 percentile. When he was born, he weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces and measured 18 inches long. At his one month, he was 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20.5 inches long. It’s taken a little longer than expected to get his weight up because he had a little catching up to do, but now we are growing like a weed.

We have finally outgrown our premie clothes and are now even bypassing the newborn clothes. Actually, we are in this weird transition where some of our newborn clothes are getting tight (length wise) but the 0-3 months are way too big. Lately, we’ve just been hanging out in our diaper because it’s much easier.

Grayson is full of personality! One minute he is totally chill and just likes to sit back and stare and the next minute, he is climbing all over his mommy and daddy. I knew this little guy was going to be an active one just by the way he moved in my stomach all those months, but Grayson seriously surprises us by how advanced and determined he is. I mean, the kid was rolling from tummy to back at 10 days old. Well, that is old news now and he is desperately trying to roll from back to tummy. He’s not quite there but I swear any day now. Geesh, I am going to have my work cut out for me.

Nursing is going well! He had the latch down right away and there are times we still struggle with staying focused for the entire 15 minutes so I am still pumping after each session and feeding him any excess milk he didn’t get. We do still supplement formula from time to time but it’s down to about an ounce at a time. We really leave it up to him if he wants it or not. Sometimes, he’s still hungry after we nurse and he will take the formula and other times, he wants nothing to do with it. I’m hoping we will eventually ween off completely in a few weeks. As long as he continues to gain and at a good pace, but like I said, he had some catching up to do.

Speaking of formula, that has been a bit of a challenge to figure out what he will take. I was giving him Enfamil Gentlease but we noticed that he spit up a lot immediately after we fed him. I talked to his doctor and he said it could be a milk allergy or intolerance so we changed to a soy based formula the other day. He had absolutely no spit up or vomit so I was thinking it was the winner. Well, unfortunately, G didn’t poop for 2 days on the soy formula. I put him back on the milk based and he pooped right away. He also vomited right away too. Ugh, so now we are back to square one.

What else can I tell you about this little guy?

He loves his bath time now! It took a few baths, but Grayson would sit and hang out in the warm water for hours if I let him. He is also okay with water, even if a little gets on his face. Grayson also loves his wubba nub, his Rock n’ Play and his Boppy lounger. We are looking to invest in some kind of swing or bouncer because this kid is in need of more activity in his life. He still is not the biggest fan of being swaddled even though we keep trying. I found that when I do swaddle him and he actually stays in it, he sleeps much better. The problem is getting him to keep his arms in. We’ve already discovered his hatred for the sleep sacks, but maybe we should give them another try.

Grayson also loves to be outside! We try and get out for a walk at least once a day and I’ve found that if there is a day when we can’t get out, he goes a little stir crazy, just like his mama. We are currently working on getting a routine down with feeding, playtime and naps. I’ve heard good things about the Mom’s On Call program so I downloaded to app and we’ve been trying our best to stick with it. Somedays are better than others and we often skip naps or need to adjust the feeding times, but I think the more we stick with it, the easier it will get.

Sleep has been what you’d expect, or rather, what I expected it would be. His current bedtime schedule goes like this: bath time is at 8 pm, we play and do tummy time at 8:30 pm, we eat (we call it our gluttony eating) at 9:00 pm where he gets nursed and a bottle. It’s a big feeding but he usually takes it all and then passes out shortly after. He is usually up every 2-3 hours so between 11:30 and midnight and then again at 3:00 am. He wakes for the day between 5:30 am – 6:00 am. I would love to eventually eliminate that 3 am feeding (it’s the worst!) but right now, he seems to still need it, so we are sticking with what the little guy wants. After all, he is the boss!

Mommy Updates

Overall, I’m feeling great! Aside from being a little sleep deprived, my body healed quite well in the last four weeks. My hormones have also seemed to settle down a bit, as I’m no longer experiencing those crazy night sweats anymore. My wrists/hands still bother me but definitely not as bad as they were. I’ve been pumping and giving G bottles at night in an effort to give my hands a break. Nighttime was the absolute worst for the pain, and I would wake up almost in tears after some of those late night feedings. By giving him pumped bottles at night, it cuts the feeding process in half meaning we both get more sleep and my hands are so much better in the morning.

As far as exercise, I’ve started to slowly incorporate more but nothing is routine yet. We do try and walk every single day and on the days when we can’t, I will do a quick 20 minute at-home workout while G naps. It’s nothing crazy, just some sit-ups, push-ups, squats and planks but I’m trying to regain some of my core muscles. They are definitely weak. I tried to hold a plank for the first time last week and could barely make it to 30 seconds. I did get the chance to go to the gym last week when John was home and ran/walked 3 miles, which felt pretty good. I think all of the hill walking we’ve been doing with the stroller will really come to my benefit when I actually start running again.

As much as I love exercise and it’s an important aspect in my every day life, it’s also not as vital to me at this point. I knew I wanted to get back into a routine as soon as I could, but motherhood is teaching me that my idea of a routine is not at all for my own gain. This time is all about Grayson and even though I do try and take a little time for myself, he consumes so much of my time and energy. I will wake up one morning and think, “I’m going to do a 30 minute workout today,” and then Grayson won’t nap or he needs a little extra attention and my plan goes out the window. Before, I didn’t do well when sometime screwed up my routine but now, I can easily let it go. Just holding my precious baby is much more healthy for the both of us at this point than me getting in a 30 minute workout. So we value our walks together and the times when we can get out and move, but I would much rather be spending time with him. And in those few times he does sleep during the day for a long period of time, I take those opportunities to get things done around the house or catch up on work. After all, I am working from home and also need to focus on my job. I know that once John’s job calms down a bit, he will be home more and able to take over baby duty, allowing me a little more time for myself. Until then, it’s G’s world and I’m just living in it! 🙂

Well, that is where we are at after a month with our little love child. Grayson has truly brought more joy into our lives than we ever imagined. It’s so true what they say, a child fills a hole in your heart you never even knew you had. He was beautifully and wonderfully created and I honestly feel so lucky to be his mom.

Out of every book, article, or friend’s account I read about breastfeeding, the most undeniable thing I gathered from it was that nursing your newborn baby is HARD WORK! And boy were they right.

I thought I mentally prepared myself for the fact that it wouldn’t be as easy as it seemed, but like many other new and naive moms, I so did not. In fact, I bought four different books on breastfeeding and only managed to get through half of one before thinking to myself, “okay, I got this.” Well silly me. Now in my defense, I do feel I could have read every book in the world and it still wouldn’t have prepared me or my baby for the task ahead of us. It wasn’t until Grayson and I spent hours and hours practicing and failing many times before we both got the hang of it.

I first want to say I’m no expert on breastfeeding and even though after a month I feel more confident, we still have many days and feedings that aren’t so great. I still get upset about it but then I remember, we are both doing the very best we can and that is all you can really ask of yourself.

Now, I want to share a few ways that I was able to increase my supply. When I first started, I really thought we would have more trouble with the latching but to my surprise, Grayson was a pro at latching on. What we struggled with was extracting. G would latch on great and do really well at extracting the milk for the first five minutes, but then he would get tired or disengaged and just start to pacify.

Since he wasn’t getting the most out of each feeding, he would fall asleep and wake up 10-15 minutes later still hungry. And since he wasn’t emptying my breasts, I wasn’t producing anymore. I then started to nurse him and pump immediately after to make sure they were emptied and give him the excess milk from a bottle.

This wasn’t my ideal way of nursing but I was happy to give him the most breast milk I could. When G wasn’t gaining enough weight in the beginning, his pediatrician recommended adding a little formula to the excess milk we were feeding him.

I wasn’t crazy about this idea, but I also wanted to make sure he was getting properly nourished, so that is what we did. In the midst of this, we made a few appointments with the lactation consultant so that we could both learn how we can make the most out of our feedings.

I honestly can not say enough good things about my LC’s. Not only do they provide such useful information, they are a HUGE support when you need it the most. Having that added support is so important. They also gave me a lot of tips and methods to try to increase my supply so that Grayson would become a pro eater and would eventually ween himself off the need for any formula.

Here are a few things I have done or am doing currently in order to get my milk supply where it needs to be:

Pump with a Quality Pump

Breastfeeding is a full time job and when you add in pumping after nursing, it becomes a never-ending cycle, BUT it’s worth it! I was using the Ameda pump but my LC’s recommended that I rent a hospital grade pump for a month in order to get my milk supply up. While most pumps are good for doing what they are meat to do, the hospital pump will extract the best. It wasn’t cheap ($70 to rent for the month) but I’m happy I did it. So I am nursing Grayson and pumping after. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand so as long as I am continually emptying my breasts, they will keep producing more.

The SNS Tube

The Supplemental Nursing System is a tiny tube that goes into G’s mouth while he is on my breast. I fill the small container with excess breast milk and feed the tube through the corner of his mouth when we nurse, that way when he starts to get sleepy and pacify, I give him an added boost of milk. He begins to easily get the milk from the tube, which causes him to suck and swallow again. So essentially, he is getting double the amount from my breast and from the tube. This wasn’t the easiest thing at first and was actually kind of an annoyance, but after a few tries, we’ve mastered it and he is MUCH better at feedings.

Stay Hydrated

This is probably one of the most important things when it comes to breastfeeding. If you think about it, fluids in equals fluids out so making sure you are properly hydrated at all times is key. I always have my water bottle next to me and filled and try to get about 160 oz of water in a day (a little more than a gallon). That’s not including any other liquids I consume such as coffee or tea. Obviously, I’m not pumping 160 oz of milk a day (I wish!) but it does make a significant difference.

Oatmeal

I’m not really sure why, but I’ve heard from many different sources that oatmeal is a surefire food to include in your daily diet to increase milk supply. Lucky for me, I’m digging oats again so it hasn’t been an issue. If I don’t eat oatmeal for breakfast, I try to have a small bowl as a snack throughout the day.

Cholesterol

This was something my LC told me at our last appointment. Apparently, cholesterol and fatty acids is said to help increase a woman’s supply. Eggs also try to make a daily appearance in my diet, and since I have no trouble with the fatty acids, that hasn’t been a problem.

Fenugreek and Brewers Yeast

These are two supplements that I had never heard of prior to breastfeeding but if you ask any nursing mom, they have probably heard of them. Fenugreek is an herb contains phytoestrogens, which are plant chemicals similar to the female sex hormone estrogen. A key compound, diosgenin, has been shown experimentally to increase milk flow. Brewers yeast is highly nutritious and contains iron, protein, and B vitamins, as well as chromium, selenium and other trace minerals. It is also believed to be a galactagogue, used by nursing mothers to help make more breast milk. I bought the Fenugreek in pill form and the yeast in the form of a powder. At first, I was unsure of how to consume it but after a few searches on the Web, I found some recipes that incorporate it including these Mama’s Milk Making Cookies.

I love these! They are quite tasty and a perfect snack for those late night feedings.

Relax

The last thing, but definitely not least, is to relax and try very hard not to stress out over everything. That is much easier said than done because back to my original point, breastfeeding is hard work! I’ve spent many moments in tears thinking I was failing my child, but I do try and give myself credit for doing the very best that I can. It also helps to surround yourself with people that support you. John has been an amazing support throughout it all and encourages me every single day that I am working so hard and doing so well. My other mom friends also lend a ton of incredible encouragement and share their own tips and struggles.

In the end, I’ve learned that nursing is a learning experience and something that we are getting better at every day. You have to do what is right for you and your baby and you absolutely cannot compare yourself to other lactating women. Every boob and baby is different and your focus should always be on what is working for you and your baby and not what others are doing or saying. There have been many times that I just wanted to give up, but then I come to my senses and realize that would be silly. So it takes a ton of time, effort and even more lack of sleep. All I have to do is take one look at my little angel’s face and it suddenly becomes easy.

When I first found out I was going to be a mom, I thought, “okay this can’t be that hard, I mean SO many women do this.” Well, as I got closer and closer to giving birth, I became more terrified at how very little I did know. The questions that consumed my mind were endless and sometimes, ridiculous. I remember going to create a baby registry and sobbing because I literally had no clue what to buy for my newborn. There was SO MUCH STUFF and I had no idea what a boppy or moby wrap was let alone what kind of detergent and lotions to buy. It was incredibly overwhelming and the only thing I thought to do was seek out the advice of my good mommy friends for the essentials. Well, thank God for them because without their recommendations, I would have nothing. Well maybe not nothing, but I certainly wouldn’t have some of the wonderful baby items I do now.

Now I know that there are millions of products, models and brands out there and many mom’s have their preference (usually based off of experience) but the list below are just a few of my favorite baby things that we’ve been using for the past three weeks. Again, I’m no expert, but from our own experiences with Grayson, these things work for us and hopefully some of them may work for you.

I was told to get this by multiple people. The idea is that it acts as a bassinet and the baby sleeps soundly in here beside your bed. We started using this the moment we got home from the hospital and G loves it! It has two vibrating settings (one is more mild and the other is more intense) and we always have the vibrator on when G is in there. It’s also extremely portable so we move it easily from the bedroom to the living room, although I have been more consistent on getting G to take his naps in his crib during the day now. Overall, this was a great buy and something we use every day, multiple times a day.

Before I even had Grayson, I knew I wanted to try baby wearing. There are dozens of wraps out there, but I decided to go with a well-known brand and one with good reviews. The Moby wrap seemed like a great option and so far, it’s been working out well! To be honest, it took us a few tries to get this down, but after watching a few instructional youtube videos, we mastered the wrap. G LOVES it! When I need to get things done around the house and the LO is awake, I just throw him in the wrap and he hangs out while I do my thing. He usually falls asleep within a few minutes of being in there. We also got the Ergo carrier but can’t use it until he’s 8 pounds so the Moby has been a great alternative until he gets a little bigger.

When you have a baby, you will wash more bottles, nipples, pacifiers, toys, etc that you ever imagined. Since I am nursing and then pumping right after (to keep increasing my milk supply and making sure G gets an adequate amount) I am washing the pump parts and bottles at least 8 times a day. The Boon Grass drying rack is awesome! It sits right beside our sink and every little baby gadget fits perfectly on there. Honestly, I don’t know what we’d do without this thing other than be very frustrated with trying to dry everything over and over. My only regret is not getting the bigger one.

I’m pretty sure it was Caitlin that told me about this gem, but I’m so happy she did. I’m sure you’ve heard of the boppy for nursing (or maybe not if you were anything like me) but this pillow is like the boppy on steroids. Unlike the original, it doesn’t have a hole in the center so it’s more like an inclined soft pillow for the baby to lounge on when he’s awake. I tried using the regular boppy for G to sit in but he is so small he falls right through. The lounger is perfect and a great way for him to comfortably sit and chill.

Oh good heavens my child LOVES his WubbaNub. I’ve seen these a few times before and thought they were just adorable (which is really the only reason I ended up buying some). Grayson is obsessed with his Wubba! Whenever we have a freak out and we know he’s been fed and changed, we grab Wubs and he immediately calms down. He holds on to him so tight so he’s careful not to drop him or that no one takes him away. The WubbaNubs are great because they give the baby something to hold on to while pacifying and they are harder to loose. We love ours!

I was told by almost everyone I know to make sure we got sleep sacks. I was actually so happy when Halo contacted me and asked if they could send me a few. Since they were so highly rated, I couldn’t turn them down. So I naturally assumed my child would be like every other baby and love his sleep sack, but no, not my crazy kid. Grayson HATES to have his arms confined. We’ve tried swaddling so many times and he always breaks his arms out immediately. So when he struggled to get out of the sleep sack, I knew it wasn’t going to work. The only reason I’m including them on this list is because I really do believe they are a great product and a lifesaver for so many moms. We’ve got swaddling down (and just the way G likes it) but it really is a pain to do it each time, especially during those late night feedings. I truly wish he loved his sleep sack, but unfortunately, we’ll just have to save these and hope baby number 2 someday will be a fan.

Speaking of swaddling, G does enjoy a nice swaddle so long as his arms are out. The Aden and Anais blankets were highly recommended for swaddling but also for many other uses. We use them all the time to swaddle at night because they wrap around his little body perfectly and they are lightweight. G sweats at night so he needs a breathable blanket. These blankets also make for fantastic burp clothes and clean up major messes with ease.

So we love this bathtub! It’s so simple and literally a large piece of durable foam that sits well in our kitchen sink. There are holes on the side that leak out water when it reaches a certain level but allows for just the right amount of warm water for G to sit in during his baths. It is so portable too! It just folds up and you can easily bring this with you anywhere. I know a lot of baby tubs are known for being bulky and hard to store but the Puj tub couldn’t be easier.

Out of all of the baby items we have, this has to be my favorite! I was so clueless when it came to strollers but a few of my friends recommend to get the City Select by Baby Jogger. I’ve heard that many moms get flustered with having to purchase new strollers when their babies outgrow the ones they have or their old ones fall apart. Now it’s not cheap and it’s probably the most expensive baby thing we own (we were so graciously gifted this), but it is SO worth the price! The stroller has 16 different seat positions and can double as a toddler and infant stroller. It’s incredibly sturdy and drives so well! I go over so many bumps and G doesn’t even stir in this thing. It seems like it would be a huge burden because it’s definitely a big piece of equipment but it’s so smooth. I honestly feel like we won’t need to buy a new stroller again.

Well those are just a few of my favorite baby things but I know there are so many more products out there that would blow my mind. If you are a mom-to-be, hopefully this list helped you a bit and if you are an experienced mom, I’d love to know, what are some of your favorite baby products?

Well we survived almost a full week with the little peanut living outside my womb and to be honest, it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Now, ask me this again next week and I very well could have an entirely different answer for you, but for the most part, we are all learning how to survive as a family. I’m not saying our little angel is always angelic and we have endured a few long nights, major meltdowns, and an allergic reaction, but every single day is a brand new adventure and our love continues to grow more and more as we watch him develop by the minute.

Obviously my days are MUCH different than before and I don’t expect to develop a real routine until after a few weeks but the past week, John and I have spent entirely focused to our little man. It has been so very amazing to have him home and I’m already dreading tomorrow when he has to go back to work, but I’m getting more and more confident each day.

Okay, let’s recap yesterday…..

6:00am – I wake up to check on Grayson who is sleeping soundly in his Rock n’ Play beside our bed. I usually wake up every hour just to check on him. I’m guessing that is a normal mom thing. He had a really good night! John was up with him at 3:00 am and put him down at 3:30am and he was still sleeping! Score!

6:20am – I should try and sleep for another hour but I can’t so I get up and move the little guy out to the living room with me, being careful not to wake him.

6:25am – I spend 10 minutes just staring at him, taking pictures, and realizing how in love I am with my precious little boy.

6:30am – I make myself a cup of coffee. Tastes soooooo good!

7:00am – G-man is still sleeping but it has been 4 hours since his last feeding so I decide to wake him up for feeding number 1 of the day.

7:20am- Grayson finishes eating. He usually eats for 20-30 minutes depending on how hungry or tired he is.

7:30am – G-man goes back to sleep and I make myself a bowl of oatmeal! (Hey look, oatmeal is back! After despising it my entire pregnancy, I finally crave hot oats once again!)

8:30am – Grayson starts to wake up. He seems hungry again so I feed him for feeding number 2 of the day.

9:00am- John wakes up and plays with Grayson while I get things ready for his bath.

9:30am- We give Grayson a bath together. He is still not in love with sponge baths but did SO MUCH better than the first two times. I think he’s getting used to them now.

10:00am – Daddy and Grayson time while mommy showers and gets ready.

11:00am- Time to eat again! I made a smoothie for myself and fed Grayson before we had to be out the door for our pediatrician appointment.

11:30am – Diaper change and diaper bag check and we are off.

12:00am- Grayson did great at the doctors! He dropped a little more weight so the doctor wants to see him again on Friday to make sure it doesn’t continue to drop.

12:30am – Quick stop at Babies R Us for a few things and we head home.

1:00pm – Grayson eats again while John gets lunch ready for us.

Turkey wrap with avocado, spinach and spicy mustard

And chocolate

2:00pm – We have a visitor! One of John’s coworkers stopped by with a meal and some presents for Grayson. We all visit and are so happy that G-man is happy the whole time.

3:00pm – This is when things started to go downhill for the little guy. Grayson became very fussy. I tried feeding him but he was obviously not feeling it. He cried, he was super squirmy, and then his cries went to screams. We spent the next hour trying to calm him down.

4:00pm- After an hour, we decided it might be good to get out of the house. Grayson loves his car seat and as soon as we put him in, he fell right asleep.

4:30pm- Mommy and Daddy have a MUCH needed coffee break at Starbucks. Grayson sleeps the whole time.

5:00pm- We do a quick Target run while the little one is still sleeping.

5:30pm- Arrive home. Grayson wakes up and is still in an AWFUL mood. He is fussy but his cries start to get stronger and stronger as the night goes on. I try feeding him again. It calms him down for a little but he starts back up again.

6:30pm – I walk around with the clearly distressed baby, bouncing, swaying and singing. Try feeding him again but he is not interested.

7:00pm – We put the fussy baby in his car seat and he goes right to sleep.

7:30pm – John makes me a bowl of soup. I eat a little but I’m not very hungry. Grayson has me pretty stressed and upset. I hate seeing him distressed and wish I knew what was causing it.

7:35pm- Grayson wakes up and immediately starts screaming. This is unlike any normal cry. John and I think he may be in some kind of pain but we can’t figure out what it might be.

8:00pm-12:00am – John and I take turns trying to calm him down but he is still a mess. Finally, John goes to change him and he sees blood in his diaper. Apparently, his circumcision caused a small scab that seemed to have been irritated. Bingo! That was the cause for all of his distress. We googled a few things and found out that washing it with warm water, applying vasaline and making sure his diaper was very loose would relieve some of it. After following all of those tips, it seemed to work. Grayson finally calmed down. John and I polish off a pint of Salted Carmel Chocolate Covered Pretzel ice cream, which was a necessity.

1:00am – 3:30am – Grayson sleeps but wakes up a little before 3:30am. I feed him and John takes over baby duty to let me sleep. Grayson was wide awake and ready to party.

6:30am – I wake up and hear Grayson who clearly needed a diaper change. He was still sleeping so I wake him to change his diaper. I try feeding him again but he doesn’t nurse for long. He is always so sleepy in the mornings so I lay him back down and let him sleep. I should have gone back to bed myself but I was too awake and decided to just get up and ready for the day.

So there you have it; a full 24 hours with a newborn. As you can see every single hour of the day is focused on this little man, which can be exhausting but totally fulfilling. Even when he is extremely fussy, he is beyond worth it. For as little sleep as I’m probably getting, I don’t feel all that run down….yet. That could change, but I’m still running on the hormonal postpartum high. That being said, I have absolutely no idea how anyone could do this alone. John has been a lifesaver and has helped out more than I ever could ask. It’s all about teamwork for us and we truly learn something new about parenthood with every new day. Just as little Grayson is adapting to his new life, so are we.

Now time is flying by and I’m trying to hold on to every single minute of this precious time.

Thank you all so much for your kind words of congratulations on my big reveal. That was the best news I could have ever shared on this blog!

Well, Grayson is not even four days old and I’m already in such a deep infatuating love with this tiny human that I can’t comprehend my life before him and can’t imagine my life without him.

I’ve heard quite a few things from my mom friends over the past few months about motherhood. Some of them being:

You will surprise yourself at how little sleep you can function on

You will develop some kind of super mommy-adrenaline that will make you feel like an entirely different person

Your entire purpose (at least for the first few weeks of his life) will be to keep him well fed and comfortable

You will start to take little things for granted like peeing, sleeping and showering

Nursing your baby is one of the most incredible experiences you will ever have

No matter how much they cry, scream, poop, or interrupt your daily routine, none of that will matter when you hold, smell, hear and taste the sweet feeling of your newborn

If you thought you knew what love was, wait until you have a baby because you will realize you had absolutely no idea

I could write this entire post on the first few days of mommy hood but I’m actually here for a different reason – to tell you all about Grayson’s birth story.

Before I begin, I’ll warn you that like most birth stories, this post is rather lengthy and just a tad bit graphic. If that is not your thing, you’ve been warned.

Let me start from the beginning….

My labor began on Wednesday of last week when I woke up that morning and felt slightly wet. It wasn’t anything even that noticeable, just a little dampness in my underwear. I told my mom (thank GOODNESS she was here last week) and she said it could very well be a leak from my amniotic fluid. Luckily, I had a doctor’s appointment later that morning and she told me that my doctor would probably check to see if I was expressing fluid.

I went to the doctor at 11:30am and by this time, I had been noticing a little more leaking. It wasn’t a big leak, but enough for me to feel that dampness in my underwear. I kept telling himself it was probably nothing (or even just pee) because I didn’t want to get my hopes up that something really might be happening. I wasn’t feeling any contractions so I figured it was probably nothing. I told my doctor what was going on and he indeed did check my fluid. He came back a few minutes later and said, “well, looks like your water broke. You’re in labor so head over to the hospital.”

I couldn’t believe it! At first I was elated and excited and then I started to freak out. “I’m not ready,” I thought. My mom was with me and John was working so I gave him a call and told him what was going on. I said not to rush over just yet because there was a chance they would send me home to labor more at home, which is common if you aren’t in active labor but your water breaks.

I checked in at the hospital and got hooked up to the monitors right away. The baby was doing great and apparently I was contracting but not feeling them. They were still irregular, some coming every two minutes, others were coming every 5-7 minutes. The on call doctor came in after an hour of me being hooked up to the monitors and said it was up to me if I wanted to stay and wait it out or go home and try to labor and bring on some more regular and stronger contractions at home. At this point, I was STARVING and I knew if I stayed, I wouldn’t be allowed to eat for a very long time. I decided to go home, eat, walk and try to bring on labor myself. The doctor said if nothing happens by 7am the next morning, to come back in and they would have to induce me.

My mom and I left the hospital, grabbed lunch and headed home to wait. This was honestly the LONGEST night of my life. We walked, I ate spicy foods, I ate an entire pineapple and waited patiently for pain to begin. But to my surprise, I was feeling nothing at all. John came home and we headed out to Target to walk the aisles a bit. I didn’t want to go to far from him seeing as I was in labor and I still expected a major gush of water to come out of me at some point.

After an hour of walking, more laying around, and just relaxing, still nothing. I finally decided to go to bed and try to get some rest. The night was all over the place for me. I was up every hour and eventually just got up and waited at 3am. At this point, I was feeling some very mild contractions but nothing more than what menstrual cramps feel like. Finally, at 5:30 am, I couldn’t take the waiting anymore, so I woke up John and said we should go to the hospital now. I grabbed a quick shower and double checked the bag we packed. I made sure to eat (and was surprisingly hungry thank goodness). I hate an english muffin with lots of almond butter and a banana and we were out the door by 6:20 am.

Once I arrived at the hospital, I got checked in and got situated in a room quickly. The nurse came him and hooked me up to an iV and started giving me fluids. After about an hour, my doctor came by to check me. At this point, I was still only 1.5 cm dilated but just about fully thinned out. He suggested to start me on pitocin to try and get things going. My contractions were still coming irregular and still not very painful. He asked if I thought I would want an epidural and I told him probably but I wasn’t sure just yet. He assured me we had lots of time and I could certainly decide later on. He left the room saying, “it’s going to be a good day Lauren!” He couldn’t have been more right about that.

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10:30 am

I had been on the piton for about two hours and was just starting to feel some contractions. I wouldn’t say they were very painful, just stronger and more uncomfortable. My doctor suggested getting up and walking around for a little to try and let gravity do some work. John, my mom and I began walking the circle of the labor and delivery floor for 30-45 minutes. My contractions were getting stronger but again, nothing too painful. I kept thinking, “well if this is all labor is, I can totally do this!” Boy was I wrong!

At 11:30, the doctor came back to check and see if I had progressed. I was 4-5 cm dilated at this point, but he said he still felt a lot of my membranes were still in tact and suggested breaking the rest of the sac. This was completely painless but as soon as he ruptured my amniotic sac, a gush of warm liquid came pouring out. That was the sensation I expected! Thankfully, it was all clear too.

I got up to pee and within 2 minutes, I started to feel some really intense contractions. I still can’t believe how fast they came on after he fully broke my water. I tried sitting in the rocking chair and gripped onto John’s hand with every extremely painful wave. They were coming strong about 2 minutes apart. Every single one got worse, eventually bringing a few tears to my eyes. John stayed by my side with each one and helped me breath through them. My mom kept saying to me, “don’t fight them bunny, just breath into them,” and it took everything I had in me not to clamp up and hold my breath. After about an hour of this, my nurse came in and said, “how about that epidural now?” I was still worried it was too early but she assured me it wouldn’t ware off and I would have immediate relief. That sounded so amazing so I looked and John and said, “I’m ready.” She went to page the anesthesiologist.

I waited 20 minutes for the anesthesiologist to come and when we walked in the room, I could have kissed him. He took a few minutes to get set up and asked me a bunch of questions. I just remembering saying yes to everything not even really comprehending what I was saying. The pain was so intense by this point, I just dreamed of that relief that was coming momentarily.

He performed the epidural with ease and said everything went really well and that I would start to feel initial relief in 5 minutes and full relief in 15. I laid in bed and waited anxiously, gripping on to John’s hand so tightly. 5 minutes went by and I felt nothing. I didn’t even feel the tingling feeling in my legs he said I would have. I could move my legs without any issues and felt absolutely no relief from the contractions. 10 minutes went by and still nothing. After 20 minutes, the nurse came in and checked my epidural to make sure it wasn’t kinked. She gave it a boost and said hopefully it would kick in any minute. Well, it didn’t. After another few minutes of seeing me in tears and in probably the most pain I’ve ever felt, she said she would page the anesthesiologist again.

10 minutes later, a new guy walked in and said, “Hi Lauren, I’m Dr. so and so and I am going to redo your epidural and have you feeling nothing in 2 minutes, I promise!” At this point, I could have cared less who he was or what credentials he had, I just wanted him to shove that thing in back as fast as he could. This doctor was literally a Godsend. He lived up to his word and within 2 minutes, I could feel absolutely nothing in the lower half of my body. I remember just thanking him over and over. From this point on, labor was easy.

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So after my second epidural, I was feeling pretty great. Granted I was numb from the waist down but it felt amazing to not feel a single contraction and trust me, they were coming hard and fast. My dad arrived at this point (he was driving from PA) and John’s parents came shortly after. Everyone came into the room for a visit and we chatted, watched TV, and I even dozed off a bit. My doctor came in at 7:30 pm to check me but first asked how I was feeling. I told him I felt great but was starting to feel a little more pressure down there. I didn’t necessarily think I needed to push, but thought the baby might be moved more into the birth canal.

Well my assumption was more than right. As soon as he began he immediately said, “Oh my, he is RIGHT there. You are fully dilated and a +3.” Meaning, the baby’s head was literally visible. My nurse told me a +4 is basically his head is out so Grayson had basically done all of the hard work for me without me even knowing it. My nurse said to me, “This doesn’t happen very often, you are going to push him out in just a few pushes,” to which I replied, “shut up!”

The doctor wasn’t even fully ready and had to go check on one more patient but told me not to start pushing until he got back, because if I did, he would miss the whole thing.

The nurse ran out and got everything ready in just a few minutes and I waited anxiously for the doctor to come back. While we were waiting, Katie (my nurse) started to go over the game plan and coaching me on what to do. With my mom on my right side and John on my left, I was more than ready for this.

The doctor came back after about 20 minutes of waiting but it felt like an eternity. Before I knew it, I was told with the next wave of pressure to bear down and give it everything I had. With each push, I felt no pain at all, just a waves of exhaustion after each long breath. The hardest part was using every ounce of strength in my body to push as hard as I could and hold my breath. The first round was three pushes 10 seconds long with a breath in between. With that round, his head had crowned and the doctor said the next round should do it. I waited for the next contraction to hit but suddenly, I saw a concerned look on the nurse’s face. She couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat on the monitor and altered the doctor. I started to panic as I noticed him whisper to the nurse, “go get the vacuum.” All of a sudden a team of “special doctors” entered the room and Katie assured me everything was okay, but we needed to get the baby out fast and with the next contraction, the doctor was going to use some pressure with the vacuum to help pull him out. The “special doctors” were there just as a precaution. With that said, a HUGE rush of adrenaline ran through my body as I knew I needed to do everything I possibly could to get my baby out. The doctor placed the vacuum on his head and as soon as he did, the baby’s heart beat picked back up strong on the monitor. It was almost as if Grayson was saying, “yeah right, you are NOT using that thing on me.” The doctor said, “okay, let’s try this without the vacuum first.” With the next contraction, I grabbed back on my legs and pushed as hard as my body would allow. That push got his head all the way out. The next push, his shoulders and with one final little push, his entire purple body was immediately placed on my stomach. He was here!

I remember a distinct feeling of relief and then immediate amazement. This little human being, the one I waited anxiously to meet for ten long months was finally in my arms and at that moment, my entire world changed. I cried, John cried, my mom cried, it was all so beautiful.

While we relishing the beautiful little baby, the doctor did his thing by removing my placenta and all of the other stuff that comes out after you have a baby. To be 100% honest, I had absolutely no idea what he was even doing nor did I care. He then said, “you had absolutely no tearing and everything looks perfect.” So literally, I pushed out my beautiful baby boy in less than 10 minutes and with 5 big pushes and didn’t even feel a thing.

I know that I got off extremely easy with his birth and I for that, I am beyond thankful! I also know that epidurals are not for everyone and I’m not here to debate that issue at all because I honestly believe it is such a personal choice, but in my case, I had such a great experience with my epidural, well the one that actually worked. It allowed me to fully enjoy every single moment of his birth without feeling any pain at all. It also allowed me for a quick active labor.

I’m actually feeling so great after his birth. Labor was nothing like I expected it to be and I really thought I would need a lot more time to recover but truthfully, I don’t even feel like I had a baby. My bleeding is almost gone, I have no pain or soreness down there, and no other side effects. I know this doesn’t happen for everyone so again, I consider myself extremely blessed. I do believe that SO much of my easy birth had a lot do to with staying very active during the entire pregnancy.

Well, that is how my precious and amazing Grayson Elliot entered this world, all 6 pounds 3 ounces of him. We are all doing so great over here and loving every single moment of parenthood. I will be back another day about how we are adjusting to that, but this post is more than enough for today.

Again, I can’t thank you enough for all of your kind words and support. Being a mom is truly the best thing in the world and I could not be any more fulfilled than I am right now. Grayson changed my life and will continue to make me a better person with each passing day. I can’t wait to share this new journey with you all!